Tri-Cities Tech Business Update

January 2011 Issue

Tech News and Notes

SIRTI announces $1.5M in awards to WA companies

The Sirti Foundation, a private foundation established in support of Sirti, announced today that five projects from among twenty applicants were awarded a total of $1.5 million from the Sirti Foundation Energy Innovation Fund. The Fund was created to accelerate technology-based companies in their endeavors to create high quality jobs by bringing innovative solutions to commercial markets in the general category of energy savings, renewable energy generation, or environmentally beneficial technologies. The awardees are: Demand Energy, Great Northern Spokane LLC, Greenwood Clean Energy, Nu Element, Inc, and WISErg Corporation. Read more or contact Linda Hemingway at 509-358-2031.

WingTip offers viable replacement for critical wired networks

Richland company, WingTip LLC, announced its PlantMESH^TM 802.11b/g/n Ethernet wireless mesh network system, which significantly changes the model for plant and outdoor networking. WingTip is a provider of manufacturing intelligence, industrial wireless Ethernet, and security products to manufacturing and process control companies. The primary goal in developing PlantMESH was to create a wireless mesh Ethernet system where installation and maintenance are readily accomplished without IT skills. Read more or contact David McKay at 509-378-2601.

New website allows easy searching for training, technical assistance

The Department of Commerce website that allows small businesses and individuals to search for training, technical assistance, and other types of support is now available. The address for the site is www.commerce.wa.gov/smallbizhelp. The site allows users to perform a simple search to locate the service or services they are interested in and that are offered in their county, or they can select "statewide" to see all available services. Read more or contact Alice Zillah at 360-725-5035.

Pacific Northwest's Puralytics Wins National Cleantech Open

Oregon-based Puralytics, a developer of photochemical water purification products, has been awarded the competition's national prize of $250,000. "Puralytics is a shining example of the kind of innovative and savvy cleantech companies our region needs to foster job growth and a new green economy," said Byron McCann, Co-Chair of the Pacific Northwest Cleantech Open. "Our region is proud of Puralytics and all of our teams, and we thank our mentors, volunteers, and sponsors for the countless hours dedicated to the competition." Read more or contact Puralytics at 866-462-0282.

New angel investor network focused on life sciences

The Washington Medical Technology Angel Network (WINGS) is a non-profit angel network that facilitates seed and early stage investments for medical technology companies in Washington State. WINGS provides a forum for the matching of early stage medical technology companies with investors who are committed to funding high-risk opportunities. WINGS works actively with research institutions-such as the University of Washington-and other angel groups-like the Life Sciences Angels-for deal sourcing and syndication. Read more or contact WINGS at 206-732-6707.

Tech Opportunities and Resources

Kauffman Labs looking for breakthrough ideas from women scientists and engineers

Deadline Jan 15. Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation is looking for women scientists and engineers in the U.S. who have breakthrough ideas to impact the world. Kauffman launched its first Women in Science and Engineering Business Idea Competition, inviting them to share their visionary ideas for the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) 2011 conference. TED is an annual conference that brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers for conversation, learning and inspiration. Competition entrants each must complete an application, which includes submitting a video. Apply online or contact Barbara Pruitt at 816-932-1288.

Resources online

The column "Local growth could be achieved using local innovation," was published in the Tri-City Herald on December 19. The article explores how locally derived innovations can be put to use by local companies. Read the article.

Tech Dates and Deadlines

TREN EVENT: Clean Technologies for Tomorrow

Jan 18. The Three Rivers Entrepreneur Network presents its January seminar: "Clean Technologies for Tomorrow." One important mission of a national laboratory is the transfer of intellectual property to the private sector for the benefit of the private sector-and the taxpayers who fund the research they do. The speakers, Peter Christensen and Eric Lund, are technology commercialization managers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) with particular focus on clean energy technologies. They will showcase emerging technologies in energy efficiency, energy storage, building efficiencies, and renewable energy. Register online.

Tapping into Technology Transfer and Commercialization: How to Build a Knowledge-Driven Economy

Jan 19. Join the International Economic Development Council to learn how your community can work to transfer innovations from companies, universities, and research labs to create new products, processes, applications, and services. By attending the web seminar, you will: understand the technology transfer and commercialization process and actors involved, identify local sources of innovation, as well as commercialization partners, and learn how to develop and grow new programs that lead to the creation of knowledge-based companies and jobs. Note: it is open to IEDC members and non-members (difference in fee). Register online

Life Science Innovation Northwest Conference

Mar 2-3. The Washington Biotechnology & Biomedical Association, in partnership with Burrill & Company, is proud to announce the 11th Annual Life Science Innovation Northwest Conference-an innovative approach to the region's premier life sciences. The meeting focuses on the state of the biotech industry in the Pacific Northwest and worldwide. The challenges and opportunities, capital availability, and success stories are just a few of the topics on tap for this must-attend meeting for CEOs, scientists, business development executives, financiers, and anyone with an interest in biotechnology. Register online.

PNNL This Month

PNNL improving commercial building energy efficiency

Through the Commercial Buildings Partnership, the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and several partners will work together to retrofit existing structures or design new structures that exceed current energy efficiency codes by at least 50 percent for new buildings - and 30 percent for existing buildings. Commercial buildings account for 18 percent of U.S. energy consumption. Read more.

Got News?

We invite your contributions! We will consider items that fit the mission of this publication, including your tech-related news, awards, and notices of upcoming events. Please send text and photos to Diane Kahler or call (509) 372-4133.

Tri-Cities Tech Business Update is published by the Economic Development Office at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Each month, we send you an e-mail message, giving you the link of news, tips, awards, upcoming events, and other information about local technology-based businesses and organizations that support them. With business and community partners, our goal is to build and diversify the Tri-Cities economy—adding skilled jobs in primary-sector industries that bring in outside dollars. Currently, more than 1,100 tech-related businesses, investors, and economic development stakeholders subscribe to the newsletter, mostly in the Mid-Columbia area and the rest of the Pacific Northwest. This newsletter (RL-P00-009) supports DOE-Richland's vision for the future of the Hanford Site and surrounding area through the creation of research opportunities, new industries, and new business clusters